Friday, September 22, 2023 — Edition: #7560
100% Grade A Bull!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Rupert Murdoch, who built a media empire that influenced the course of national politics in the US, UK, and Australia, will step down as the head of the companies he controls, Fox Corp. and News Corp.– in a move that could raise new questions about the fates of both assets. His son, 52-year-old Lachlan Murdoch, will take over as chairman of both companies, which between them operate Fox News Channel and The Wall Street Journal in the US, and The Times and The Sun in the UK. Rupert, who is 92 years old, will shift into an emeritus role, effective mid-November.
-Variety
★ Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert have canceled their live “Strike Force Five” show in Las Vegas as a result of Kimmel’s COVID-19 diagnosis. Kimmel tweeted: “I could never live with myself if I got my hometown friends sick. Thanks to all who purchased tickets, everyone will get full refunds and we will try to reschedule if possible.” The one-night only event was set to take place tomorrow at the Dolby Live at Park MGM, and would have been the first time the 3 late-night hosts were on stage together. Just as the “Strike Force Five” podcast benefits out-of-work staffers from the hosts’ shows, proceeds from the event were to have gone to employees impacted by the Hollywood double strike.
-TheWrap
★ Angelica Ross says Emma Roberts called her to apologize for an alleged transphobic incident during their time on the set of “American Horror Story: 1984.” Tuesday on Instagram Live, Ross, a transgender actress, claimed Roberts intentionally misgendered her during a conversation and later made fun of her voice. Wednesday afternoon, Ross said Roberts had reached out, writing: “Thank you @RobertsEmma for calling and apologizing, recognizing your behavior was not that of an ally. I will leave the line open to follow up on your desire to do better and support social justice causes with your platform.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3fdm2hva
-ETCanada
★ Shortly after becoming one of the only daytime talk show hosts to return for fall amid the Hollywood strikes, Sherri Shepherd has tested positive for COVID, and will pause production on “Sherri.” A statement on the show’s Instagram page says: “The show will return with original episodes as soon as possible…The health of our host and entire staff is of the utmost importance.” Sherri returned for a new season on Monday. Unlike “The Drew Barrymore Show,” which received major backlash for announcing its return before reversing it, Sherri is not covered by the WGA.
-Variety
★ Hugh Jackman and his estranged wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, have been in constant contact since announcing their split last week. Page Six quotes a source as saying: “He’s spoken to Deb and they’ve seen each other. They speak pretty regularly.” The insider emphasized that the couple “are always going to be friends and navigate this together. You just can’t be married for 27 years, share 2 kids and suddenly stop speaking.” The “Wolverine” star and Furness shocked fans when they shared that they were separating after nearly 3 decades of marriage.
-PageSix
★ Despite previous reports, Robert DeNiro will NOT be rehashing his famous “You Talkin’ to me” line in a commercial for Uber. Messenger quotes a source as saying the Academy Award winner won’t be reprising his role as ‘Travis Bickle’ from 1976’s “Taxi Driver”, or using any of the character’s lines for his upcoming Uber commercial. However, according to an Uber spokesperson, De Niro will indeed star in an ad filming “in London for a new Uber UK campaign, which will launch later in the year.”
-Messenger
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): John Cena, RuPaul, Dermot Kennedy (R)
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Danielle Brooks, John Legend (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): John Dickerson, Corey Hawkins (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): David Harbour, Kathryn Newton (R)
• The View” (ABC/CTV): TBA
• “The Talk” (CBS): TBA
• “Live with Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Alfonso Ribeiro
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Margot Robbie, Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera (R)
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): TBA
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Kristen Chenoweth
• “Secret Celebrity Renovation (CBS): Pro football player Davante Adams gifts his grandmother, Bettie, who helped raise him, a modern upgrade to her East Palo Alto, CA home, where he grew up.
• “Below Deck Down Under” (Bravo): A special episode featuring extended scenes and never-before-seen content.
• “Don’t Sell My Baby” (Life): When high school senior Nicolette disappears after deciding not to put her baby up for adoption, her teacher begins to worry she may have been taken against her will.
SATURDAY-
• “Champions for Change” (CNN): Dr. Sanjay Gupta puts a spotlight on ordinary people breaking new ground and embodying the fullest human potential.
• “Saving the Gorillas: Ellen’s Next Adventure” (DSC): What began as a gift from her wife, Portia, turned into a life-changing mission for Ellen DeGeneres, to save the mountain gorillas of Rwanda.
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC): Host Jenna Ortega; The 1975 performs (R)
SUNDAY-
• “NFL Football” (NBC): Pittsburgh Steelers @ Las Vegas Raiders
• “Krapopolis” (Fox): Series premiere. Asskill threatens to attack Krapopolis, Deliria decides to build a temple to herself; Stupendous and Hippocampus give a trojan horse to the Asskillians.
• “Outrageous Pumpkins” (FOOD): Season 4 premiere. Eight elite pumpkin carvers begin their journey to become the next Outrageous Pumpkins Champion.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Megan Thee Stallion — is down to make enough music with Cardi B for a joint project and a tour. In an interview, she said ‘We’re really building a little EP already, we’re gonna have enough music that we need to go on tour together.” Their last 2 collabs, ‘WAP’ and ‘Bongos’ were both huge successes.
• Taylor Swift — Travis Kelce’s brother says he thinks the rumor about a romance between the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and Taylor Swift is “100% true.” Jason Kelce, who plays for the Eagles, said: “I don’t really know a lot about what’s happening in Travis’ love life…But having said that, man, I think they’re doing great and I think it’s all 100% true.” Then he laughed…
• 98 Degrees – They’re currently touring in celebration of their 25th anniversary, and joked to Andy Cohen that NSYNC’s reunion “stole their thunder”. On the other hand, Drew Lachey said they aren’t sweating it: “When one succeeds, we all succeed. Us, NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, we’re all clumped into the same kind of pile there. So if one’s elevated, it elevates everybody.”
• Rolling Stones – are almost done completing a follow-up to “Hackney Diamonds”, their new album, which hasn’t even been released yet. Speaking on the Canadian podcast “Q with Tom Power”, Mick Jagger said: “This won’t be the last album. We are two-thirds through the next one.” Hackney Diamonds will be their first studio album of new material since 2005.
• Queensrÿche – The band behind the 1991 hit ‘Silent Lucidity’ has released an official music video for its cover of Billy Idol’s ‘Rebel Yell’. Queensrÿche’s version of the song was originally released as a bonus track on the 2022 album “Digital Noise Alliance”. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/334v69jf
• Mötley Crüe – guitarist John 5 said “everybody’s just killing it” on the new songs the group recorded earlier this year. He’s not sure whether they will be released as singles or as part of a larger project, but one is a cover of Beastie Boys’ ‘(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)’.
• Carly Pearce – was enlisted by rock group NEEDTOBREATHE for the stirring new duet ‘Fall On Me’. She tweeted: “Years ago I bought a ticket and went by myself to see @NEEDTOBREATHE live because I was such a fan. It is such an honor that they asked me to be on a song with them.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/bdc6567n
• Kane Brown – has shared details about his 2024 tour schedule. The “In the Air Tour” will kick off March 28 in Charlottesville VA. Joining him will be Tyler Hubbard and Parmalee as opening acts for most dates, with RaeLynn and LoCash at several more, plus appearances from Jon Pardi, Chris Young and Bailey Zimmerman at some stops, LINK: https://tinyurl.com/45ckmyuc
• Blake Shelton – His wife Gwen Stefani crashed his set at Long Beach CA’s Coastal Country Jam on Saturday. Shelton started strumming Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Sweet Home Alabama’, before transitioning into a very different song: ‘Don’t Speak’ by No Doubt. Next, out walked Stefani, and Shelton said: “You know I had to bring out the queen, Gwen Stefani, for this night.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/57mh6a9h
SHOOTING THE BULL
THIS WEEK’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Expend4bles” (R, Action/Adventure): Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on, the elite mercenaries, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, and Sylvester Stallone, are joined by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, and Andy Garcia. (Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Megan Fox) No Tomatometer rating
• “It Lives Inside” (PG-13, Horror/Thriller): An Indian-American teenager struggling with her cultural identity has a falling out with her best friend, and unwittingly releases a demonic entity that grows stronger by feeding on her loneliness. (Neeru Bajwa, Megan Suri, Mohana Krishnan) Tomatometer: 76%
EVERYTHING NICE ABOUT PUMPKIN SPICE:
With fall officially arriving tomorrow, for some, it’s the most wonderful time of the year: Pumpkin Spice season. And if you’re one of those people who want pumpkin spice in everything from your Oreos to your…pumpkin spice…here’s some good news: The spices that are mixed together to create pumpkin spice each have their own health benefits. That’s right: Pumpkin spice is actually pretty good for you. The flavor is generally made up of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. Cinnamon is thought to help control blood sugar levels, nutmeg has been used to treat many afflictions, including cancer and kidney disease, but more research is needed. Ginger seems to be an effective treatment for nausea and morning sickness. Cloves are used to treat toothaches, and allspice is good for things like intestinal gas, diarrhea, flu and colds. And let’s not forget pumpkin. While it isn’t actually an ingredient in ALL pumpkin spice products, if it is used, you’re in luck. Pumpkin is high in vitamin A, which is good for your eyes, skin, and fighting infections.
(Wait! What about whipped cream? Tell me something good about whipped cream!)
(Now THERE’S a dietary supplement that I can get into!)
(I used to love that stuff — until that unfortunate overdose incident a few years ago…)
-Bustle, first published in BS in 2021
CLEAN LIVING:
Well, the weekend is here. Nothing but peace and relaxation for 48 hours, right? Nope. There are all those boring “adult’ responsibilities to look after — like groceries, laundry, looking after the kids…and feeding them…and of course CLEANING. And how much time does the average person devote to housecleaning? According to a new survey, we spend an average of 6 full days per year cleaning. The survey of 2,000 people in the US found that we feel that our home is “completely clean” for just 11 days of the year. Respondents said it takes them an average of 5 days to actually start cleaning after their home after they first decide it needs to happen. Other findings…
• 68% will devote an entire day to cleaning and sanitizing a specific room in their home.
• 63% say the kitchen gets an entire day devoted to its cleaning.
• Other rooms people spend a full day in include the bathroom (57%), living room (57%), bedroom (47%) and home office (47%).
• The top specific items that people said need to be cleaned and sanitized are, in order: rugs/carpets (68%), floors (63%) and clothing (57%).
(I have teenagers. Their rooms require an entire WEEKEND of cleaning – and that’s after they’ve already “cleaned” it!)
(Why all this talk of housecleaning? Is it Christmas already?)
-SWNS
NEWS OF THE WEIRD (ANIMAL KINGDOM EDITION):
➢ A group of wild monkeys raided a supermarket and made off with – you guessed it — a haul of bananas, in a bizarre hit-and-run theft in Thailand. The simians left heir normal foraging grounds in a nearby forest to hit up a 7-11 for whatever bananas they could lay their hairy hands on. Video shows the monkeys ransacking plastic crates, taking food, then running away in rotation. When shop workers try to chase them away, the monkeys just sit on nearby wires, out of reach. The local monkeys stand about 2 feet tall and weigh only 15 pounds, but are aggressive and travel in groups, and they’ve even been known to steal food out of tourists’ hands. (I was just waiting for this to say they avoided the shop workers by laying down a trail of banana peels – just like in Mario Cart!)
➢ A scientist says he can understand what chickens are saying — thanks to AI. The University of Tokyo professor claims that by using technology to analyze chicken’s vocalizations, he can decipher 6 distinct emotional states: hunger, fear, anger, contentment, excitement, and distress — with 80% accuracy. The study was spearheaded by Professor Adrian David Cheok, who is also quite well-known for his sex robot research. He plans to adapt the AI techniques to other animals, in order to “design a much better world for them”. (Why do I have the feeling he’s going to tell us that the AI says our dogs are asking for their own sex robots?)
DID YOU KNOW?
Scientists say that the thing you might hate most about a tall glass of beer is the thing that makes it taste so great. A paper published in the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists, found that a beer’s foam makes it doubly aromatic, thereby making it more delicious. The bubble-bursting Japanese study concluded that the bubbles in beer hold flavor compounds, and when a bubble bursts, the flavor is released into the air — and right into the drinker’s nose. (The problem? When someone else’s beer burps are released right into the drinker’s nose!)
-NYPost
BS CHRONOMETER 09.22.23
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Last Full Day of Summer” in the Northern Hemisphere (sniff!), as Autumn officially arrives tomorrow.
• “Business Women’s Day”, celebrating the important contribution of working women and women business owners.
• “Dear Diary Day”, a day to ‘put it on paper because it’ll make you feel better’. (Until some sneak finds your diary and Instagrams all your deepest, darkest secrets…)
• “Love Note Day”, which falls annually on the 4th Friday in September, encourages us to share feelings for loved ones with written words.
• “Centenarians Day”, honoring those who’ve lived 100 years or more (you’d best hurry up and honor them!)
• “Hobbit Day”, celebrating author JRR Tolkien and the birthdays of his characters ‘Frodo’ and ‘Bilbo Baggins’. “The Hobbit” was first published 85 years ago today.
• “White Chocolate Day”, honoring the tasty confection of sugar, cocoa butter, and milk solids. It first appeared in Switzerland in the 1930s when Nestlé invented it to use up excess cocoa butter. To qualify as real ‘white chocolate’, it must be at least 20% cocoa butter by weight.
• “Hug a Vegetarian Day”, dedicated to hugging those who love animals the most! Adopting a meat-free diet saves the lives of more than 100 animals per year. (And you can still have chocolate!)
• “Online Recovery Day”, a campaign to raise awareness for online treatment of substance abuse. It is the first national health awareness day focused on the benefits and advantages of telehealth services for any health issue. Link: https://www.nationalonlinerecoveryday.com/
• “World Carfree Day”, where people give up driving for a day to experience what it would be like to live in a world without cars, and to raise awareness for global issues such as pollution and climate change. (Darn! I thought that said “Free Car Day”!!)
• “BRAVE Day”, honoring women who “lift each other up, rescue each other and make each other BRAVE.” Today, women with varied life experiences and from different generations come together to support each other with simple gestures.
SATURDAY-
• “Autumnal Equinox” in the Northern Hemisphere, as Fall officially arrived this morning at 2:50 EDT. Fall ends with the start of Winter on December 21…in 89 days. (Today is also notable as the unofficial launch of pumpkin spice EVERYTHING!)
• “Proposal Day”, observed on the first day of Spring and the first day of Fall. (Probably a creation of some jewelry store somewhere…!)
• “Celebrate Bisexuality Day”, initiated in 1999 and now observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the US, and some European countries. A day for people to recognize and celebrate bisexual history, bisexual community and culture, and the bisexual people in their lives. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mryxz23d
• “Restless Legs Awareness Day”, to foster better understanding of this treatable condition. RLS (aka Willis-Ekbom Disease) is a neurologic disorder that causes an irresistible urge to move the legs, often accompanied by unpleasant sensations. About 3% of adults are affected. LINK: https://www.rls.org
• “Checkers Day” (also known as Dogs in Politics Day). On Sept. 23, 1952, US VP candidate Richard Nixon gave a speech, claiming he had not misused funds, but intended to keep 1 gift—a dog that the Nixon children named ‘Checkers’. The “Checkers speech” was a political triumph and the public responded with overwhelming support.
• “International Day of Sign Languages”, according to the World Federation of the Deaf, there are approximately 72 million deaf people worldwide. More than 80% live in developing countries. Collectively, they use more than 300 different sign languages.
SUNDAY-
• “Cherries Jubilee Day”, celebrating the decadent dessert that’s always served flambé. Wanna make a home version easily? All you need is a can of cherry pie filling, some cognac (or brandy), vanilla ice cream, and . . . a match.
• Daughters Day”, this occasion has special significance in India. It is to encourage Indians to have pride in their daughters and to express their love for them. The idea was born out of India’s gender imbalance, and the lack of respect that daughters there have often felt.
• “Punctuation” Day!”, celebrating the traffic signs of written language. (Wow! Eh?) Why? It’s the difference between “Let’s eat, Grandma!” and “Let’s eat Grandma!”
• “Innergize Day”, for those who say, “I don’t have time to do the things I want to do for myself.” Today, set aside time to do whatever you want. (I think I just used it up while reading that…)
• “The Festival of Latest Novelties”. Famous novelty items include Big Mouth Billy Bass, Bobbleheads, Groucho glasses, and X-Ray Specs, some of which we’ve all owned at some point! (But they definitely aren’t the LATEST…)
• “Kiss Day”, to remind us to give an extra peck to those we love and cherish (make sure they are aware you love & cherish them first!)
• “Bluebird of Happiness Day”, the mythology of the bluebird of happiness goes back thousands of years. The bluebird is widely accepted as a symbol of cheerfulness, good health, new births, prosperity, and hearth and home.
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1943 [80] Toni Basil (Antonia Basilotta), Philadelphia PA, pop singer (‘Mickey’)/movie actress (“Easy Rider”)
1949 [74] David Coverdale, Saltburn-by-the-Sea England, rock singer (Whitesnake-‘Here I Go Again’, “Is This Love’, Deep Purple-‘Burn’)/married to Tawney Kitaen 1989-91
1958 [65] Andrea Bocelli, Lajatico Italy, operatic singer (‘Time to Say Goodbye’ w/Sarah Brightman, ‘The Prayer’ w/Celine Dion)
1958 [65] Joan Jett (Larkin), Philadelphia PA, rock singer-guitarist (w/The Blackhearts-‘I Love Rock & Roll’, ‘I Hate Myself for Loving You’)
1960 [63] Scott Baio, New York City NY, TV actor (“Happy Days”, “Charles in Charge”)
1961 [62] Bonnie Hunt, Chicago IL, movie actress (“Jumanji”, “Cheaper By the Dozen” films)
1987 [36] Tom Felton, London England, movie actor (‘Draco Malfoy’ in “Harry Potter” films, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”)
1982 [41] Billie Piper, Swindon England, TV actress (‘Rose’ on “Dr Who” 2005-13), pop singer (‘Day & Night’) COMING UP… “Scoop”
SATURDAY- Julio Iglesias (w/Willie Nelson: ‘To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before’) is 80; Bruce Springsteen, (‘Born in the USA’) is 74; Jason Alexander (“Seinfeld”) is 64; Jermaine Dupri (rapper/music producer) is 51; Anthony Mackie (“Captain America” movies) is 45; Skyler Astin (“Pitch Perfect” movies) is 36
SUNDAY- ex-NFLer “Mean Joe” Greene is 77; Steve Whitmire (voice of Kermit the Frog’ & others) is 64; Nia Vardalos (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”) is 61; Robert Irvine (“Restaurant Impossible”) is 58; Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan (Slipknot) is 54; Stephanie McMahon (ex-WWE co-CEO) is 47; Ross Mathews (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”) is 44; Hannah Brown (“The Bachelorette”) is 29
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1987 [36] The TV series “Full House”, starring Bob Saget and John Stamos, debuts
1994 [29] “Friends” debuts with the episode ‘The One Where Monica Gets a Roommate’ (the show is originally called “Friends Like Us”, but is temporarily changed to “Six of One” to avoid confusion with “These Friends of Mine” … which later becomes “Ellen”)
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2012 [13] Taylor Swift’s ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ notches its third week at #1 on the Hot 100. The song also hits #1 on the Country chart — The last “country” song to spend 3 weeks at #1 on the pop chart was Kenny Rogers’ ‘Lady’ in 1980.
2015 [08] The copyright for the song ‘Happy Birthday’ is ruled invalid, putting the song into the public domain. (That means it can be used in commercials, TV shows…and when they bring you your free dessert at a restaurant!)
2018 [05] Rihanna is appointed an ambassador for Barbados
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1985 [38] The first “Farm Aid” concert is held in Champaign IL, as founders Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp help raise $10 million to aid the farming community (All 3 will both perform at this year’s event, on Sat. in Noblesville, Indiana) LINK: https://www.farmaid.org/festival/
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2003 [20] Detroit Tigers set an American League record with their 118th loss of the season (12-6 to KC Royals), beating the previous mark by the Philadelphia Athletics in 1915 (Tigers finish 43-119…43 games out of the post-season)
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ When you exercise, the burned fat metabolizes to become carbon dioxide, water, and energy. That means you exhale the fat that you lose.
✓ Cats lose almost as much fluid through grooming as they do through urination.
✓ “The Lion King” will forever hold the record for best selling VHS of all time, with over 50 million copies sold.
✓ During the entire run of the “Gilligan’s Island” TV show, it was never revealed if ‘Gilligan’ was his first or last name.
✓ Videogames have been found to be more effective at battling depression than therapy.
✓ Sex is biochemically no different from eating large quantities of chocolate.
-Facts, BathroomReadersInstitute
Best of BS . . .
BS SIGNS YOUR DOG HAS A DRINKING PROBLEM:
• Wakes up looking for a little hair o’ the human that bit him.
• Justifies quantities consumed by reasoning that they are in ‘dog beers’.
• He used to bark; now he just belches the chorus to ‘Who Let the Dogs Out?’.
• Lately, you’ve noticed that he’ll even hump a really UGLY leg.
• Won’t drink out of the toilet unless there’s an olive in it.
-First published in BS in 1997
BS FAKE AUTUMN FACTS:
• Pumpkin Spice was the sixth Spice Girl.
• Dried up leaves are difficult to spot this time of year.
• ‘The Great Pumpkin’ is a documentary about Donald Trump.
• The ‘m’ is silent.
• During Autumn, the average household consumes 3.14 pumpkins. Or as it’s more commonly known, ‘pumpkin pi’.
• No pumpkins were harmed during the making of your pumpkin spice latte.
• Nothing and no-one ‘falls’ in Autumn.
• Every time a pumpkin gets smashed, a demon gets its horns.
• People actually call it ‘Autumn’.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2017
BS WEB GOODIE:
Lost the element of surprise – but still went for it: https://tinyurl.com/yfdjyfwy
BS RANDOM JOKE:
Do crabs think we walk sideways?
BS PHONE STARTER:
What’s something you really resent paying for?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTIONS:
• Question: When asked what they are most excited about with the arrival of Fall, 23% of people said THIS. What is it?
Answer: Going apple-picking
• Question: If you do THIS on a first date, you are twice as likely to go out again. What is it?
Answer: Share a dessert
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Change your thoughts and you change your world.